The music of Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem could be classified as "world" due to its fusion of classical Middle Eastern and Western musical forms, but that would be misleading. Like many great artists, his music is difficult to pigeonhole as it explores atonal minimalism à la piano composers like Erik Satie one moment, then twirls through the French cabarets and Latin tango clubs the next. Brahem jams with everyone from full orchestras to jazz ensembles, but on Le Pas Du Chat Noir, he keeps it to a minimal trio, allowing only piano on most tracks with the occasional visit from an accordion, providing a Parisian street flavor, such as on the title track. A stringed instrument that is plucked, the oud sounds somewhat like a classical guitar, and on the title track, Brahem dextrously wrings the moody elegance of classical guitar from the instrument before seamlessly melding back into the exotic and mysterious resonances of the oud's Middle Eastern roots, bringing the accordion and piano with him, their notes elongating and flattening in order to adjust to new gravity.

Instead of sticking solely with the Parisian musical streetscape, Brahem uses it long enough to grab our attention then whisks us off to more austere classical destinations, improvising a mellow sound. The piano explores different timbres, evoking both thunder and tears in "De tout ton coeur," which finds Brahem's warm runs falling in over the plaintive piano as if comforting a child afraid of the storm by chasing them merrily around the parlor.

"C'est ailleurs" features a long solo intro by Brahem, with Francois Couturier's piano coming in low and atonal, filling in the deep end before suddenly sliding in and hitting a melodic key, as if with all the colors in place, a picture just forms. Brahem's oud and the piano fall into a perfect understanding. There's a playful majesty in the interplay here, minimalism at its most accessible and best. You can hear the weight of every key and plucked string, as they sail off in perfectly synchronized patterns, up and over into the clouds and down again, the silence releasing the sounds when they come and enveloping them when they go. Brahem and friends find a perfect harmony, and the world around them crystallizes into brief perfection.